I've been busy creating large pieces of fabric for a "Flutterby" coat! Promise to post pictures soon. It took a lot of work prefelting two very large pieces of butterfly nuno felt before cutting them up (yikes!), designing the coat around the fabric, stitching it all together and then felting really well -- a lot of work, but I'm so pleased! Pink silk inside/pink, black white on the outside.
Here is the latest Fascinator just to tweak the interest of those who have signed up or are considering signing up for my two-day workshop at the MFS - easy peasy, fast and fabulously FUN to decorate!!! You can see this at the Maryland Sheep and Wool this weekend - never entered in the hat category before, but I will this time. It is felted from the softest Alpaca and incorporates some silk organza, silk waste, silk rods . . . and cruelty-free feathers -- I'm in love with feathers!!! This is special enough to wear to a wedding.
Since getting a huge table top, I'm now able to make really large felts and this one is no exception; still a lot of work to do but I'm soooo pleased with the colors! I'm excited about the detail possibility on this!
I made this Fascinator for Susan to enjoy - it has all of her favorite colors which don't really show here - chartruese, purple and mauve. If you want to see how fun and easy it is to make your own special design, be sure to sign up for the Fabulous Fascinator workshop at the MFS in Madison, Wisconsin, July 30 - August 5.
After reading about dyeing eggs with onion skins I just had to try; I loved the idea of wrapping them in silk prints but their dye is toxic. I also had some natural blue food color (from flowers and fruits) dye on hand so I experimented with making them blue before wrapping them in onion skins (and a few shallot skins as well). They just turned out so amazing; I couldn't stop gazing at them - the light is bouncing off them in the picture because I rubbed a little oil on them right afterward but I think you get the idea. They are the most gorgeous marbleized blue, bronze and golden brown (included a little parsley under the onion skins so a little "frilly" silhouette shows here and there) - each one of them with a unique beauty. I had some of the blue and onion skins left over that I couldn't stand to go to waste so I did the same with some silk gauze (no picture here but trust me, it is just as gorgeous!) This experience just makes me want to do more with nature's bounty.
I've changed the workshop name "Gown Fragments" to "Textured Embellisher Nuno" because in essence that is what it is all about - learning the techniques to creat FABULOUS texture using your needle felting machine and wet felting - in this case the Baby Lock Embellisher. Baby Lock is once again kindly providing machines for students to use; this time at the MFS in Madison, Wisconsin, July 30 - August 5. Internationation felters will teach too -- I'm so honored and excited to be part of this event and have the opportunity to meet more of you! Imagine, you'll be able to felt feathers and dupioni!!! - not easily done with wet felting alone
This past weekend, we had a blast at Judy Gula's Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, Virginia, and I had the best and most fun students. My friend Pat Smith, who is my personal cheerleader and the most talented driver yet - will drive through hail, snow . . . . . . anything just so we can felt! (just kidding but it was really raining cats and dogs) We made quite the fashion statement wearing our Fabulous Fascinators that, although unplanned, somehow matched our jackets perfectly; we had to remove our hats at one point to protect them from the nasty downpour!
Some welcome new "friends" came over to play - and they love their new "Fabulous Fascinators" I have plenty of ideas for more to come! I'm having the time of my life playing around with these. We'll be making them in Wisconsin at the Midwest Felting Symposium - sign up on their website; only room for 12 students. My grand-daughters, Meg and Emma wanted one too and each made their own last Sunday afternoon - sorry I didn't get pictures but I'll see if they can send some :-) very, very fancy and creative - so pretty that I wanted to keep them for myself!
Oh I've been having the time of my life (except for yesterday, so sick, better today; I'm thankful). I've been creating these very fun felt Fascinators using my Baby Lock Embellisher and experimenting with all sorts of things to add as embellishments - fluffs fancies with just a touch of glitter; if you've every wanted to see all you can do with feathers, now is your chance! Of course, I get to try them all on placed on one side of my head to see where to add another fancy touch, they give me such a "kick," I can't help but grin every time; they make me so happy. Can't wait to see what the students come up with!
These are so whimsicle and just plain fun - in my mind they go perfectly with the "Gown Fragments." You can learn to do both at the Midwest Felting Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin at the end of July, beginning of August; for a starter we'll also be doing "Pretty Little Cuffs, and Pretty Little Pockets" - sign up! there are only 12 spaces for each workshop (Fascinators is a 2-day workshop)
Here is the latest Fascinator just to tweak the interest of those who have signed up or are considering signing up for my two-day workshop at the MFS - easy peasy, fast and fabulously FUN to decorate!!! You can see this at the Maryland Sheep and Wool this weekend - never entered in the hat category before, but I will this time. It is felted from the softest Alpaca and incorporates some silk organza, silk waste, silk rods . . . and cruelty-free feathers -- I'm in love with feathers!!! This is special enough to wear to a wedding.
